Tramway-carrier.



C. McLAREN.

TRAMWAY CARRIER. APPLICATION man lULY29, 1914.

Patented M11220, 1915.

7;: NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTO-LITHO., WASHINGTON. D. c.

CHESTER MGLAREN, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

TBAMWAY-CARRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 19115..

Application filed July 29, 191 Serial No. 853,883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, CHESTER MOLAREN,.21. citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tramway Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a tramway carrier.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tramway carrier which is so constructed and arranged that a skip or bucket carried on the carrier may be automatically released at any point onthe tramway so that it may be lowered; and which carrier is adapted to be automatically engaged with the tramway so as to be rigidly held against movement during the raising and lowering of the bucket.

Another object is to provide means by which the tramway carrier will be released or disengaged from the tramway when the skip or bucket has been raised and engaged therewith to admit of the carrier being returned on the tramway.

A further object is to provide a tramway carrier which is especially applicable for use in quarry work, and in which a loaded skip or bucket will be effectively locked to prevent its being accidentally discharged.

Further objects will appear in the following specifications. V Y

A particular object of this invention is to provide a practicable device of this type which is constructed of as few working parts as possible to increase the safety and reliability of operation. 7

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination'of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention with parts broken away showing the skip carrying hanger attached to the carrier and about to be disengaged therefrom. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the skip carrying hanger about to be engaged with the carrier, and illustrating the manner in which the carrier is automatically released from the tramway. Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 33, Fig. 1, showing the trip in end elevation. Fig. 4: is a detail horizontal sec tion on the line 4.4., Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the carrier is shown as constructed-of a pair of parallel plates A, connected together by bolts 2, spaced a short distance apartby means of spacers 3. The plates A are designed to be suspended in a vertical position from grooved wheels 4, which are revolubly mounted upon suitable bearings on the plates 4 and are positioned at the upper and outer ends thereof, as

shown in Figsl and 2. The grooved wheels 4 are adapted to travel upon a track cable 5 of any suitable description, which cable passes between the parallel plates A.

Mounted on'the plates A beneath the track cable 5 is a grooved sheave 6, over which a hauling cable 7 is passed; one end ofthe cable 7 being attached to the plates A at 8, and the other end of which is wound on a drum or other operating device of any suitable description, not necessary to be here shown. Supported on the bight of the cable extending between the fastening 8 and the sheave 6 is a pulley 9 mounted on a block 10, to the lower edge of which block is attached a hanger 11, adapted to be engaged or connected with the bail 12 of a bucket or skip, not shown.

The pulley 9 with the block 10 and its attached parts is designed to be raised and lowered in relation to the carrier plates by means of the hauling cable 7 in the usual well-known manner; the hauling cable being also employed to haul the carrier when the block 10 is attached to the carrier plates A, as will be later described.

Mounted on the upper part of block 10 is a yoke 13, the lateral portion of which is adapted to extend into substantially vertical, oppositely disposed slots 14: extending up from the divergent mouth in the carrier plates A. A grappling hook arm 15 pivotally mounted on a shaft 16 is designed to engage the horizontal portion of the yoke 13 to hold the pulley block 10 and its connections in attached suspended relation to the carrier plates A.

A trip-lever 21 extends in approximately ahorizontal position between the plates A and projects a short distance beyond the forward vertical edge thereof. The inner end of'the trip lever 21 is supported upon a pin 22 which extends through horizontally extending slots, 23 formed in the carrier plates A. The outer end of the trip lever 21 normally rests upon and is supported by a bar 24 which extends transversely across titre space between the plates A, as shown in 1g. 1. F H V The lower edge of the trip lever 21 is notched to form shoulders 25 positioned to engage the bar 24 when the trip lever 21 is in-its lowermost and forwardmost position. The outer end of the trip lever 21 is provided with a head which is formed with an inclined lower face, as indicated at 26, the lowermost point of which is positioned a short'distance below the underside of the trip lever-"21 to form a shoulder, and mounted to project a short distance beyond the vertical face of this shoulder is a roller 26.

A tripping device, shown in detail in Fig. 3, is mounted on the track cable at any suitable p'oint, and is'provided as a means for operating the'trip lever 21 to throw it out of engagement'with the bar 24 and cause it to move backward, and thereby draw the latch 15 out of engagement with the yoke 13, as indicated in Fig. 2; This tripping device consists of a segmental plate 27 mounted on clamp members 28, which are clamped to the track cable 5 by means of bolts 29, and an abutment plate'30 mounted a short distance rearward of the segmental plate 27 and rigid therewith.

The tripping deviee'is designed to be positioned-' upon the track cable 5 so that, whenthe carrier is moved forward on the track cable in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, the beveled lower edge of the head of the trip lever 21 will-ride over the upper edge of the segment 27 and thereby rock the outer end of the trip lever 21 in an upward direction, so as to disengage the shoulder 25 from the bar 24; the abutment-plate 30 being so positioned as to strike the outer end of the trip lever 21, to limit the forward movement of the latter and. cause it to be retracted in relation to the carrier as the latter moves forward. The track cable 5 extends at an incline, and the carrier is designed to gravitate downward thereon and be" brought to a stop adjacent the tripping device.

In'the operation of the invention, the various parts are positioned as shown in fu'll'lines in Fig. 1, when the carrier is to be sent down the inclined track cable 5; the load on the block 10 being carried on the hook 15. The hauling cable 7 is then let out so as to allow the carrier to ride down the inclined track cable 5, until the trip lever 21 is actuated by the tripping device, as before described, so as to allow withdrawal of the'hook 15- out of engagement withthe yoke 13 on the block 10, thereby throwing theweight ofthe loadearried on theblock 10on to'thehauling cable, which block and" the load carried thereon may now be-lowered by letting out the hauling cable 7 to the desired extent. The outer end of the trip lever 21 on riding over the segment 27 drops therebehind, so as to cause the roller 26 on the shoulder thereof to engage the segment 27 and thereby securely hold the carrier against rearward movement.

Means are provided for holding the trip lever 21 in engagement with the stationary segment 27 to prevent its being accidentally detached therefrom, which means is here shown as consisting of a pin 31 disposed across the space between the plates A above the upper edge of the trip lever 21 and adjacent'thereto; the upper edge of the trip lever 21 being recessed at 32 to admit of its clearing the pin 31 when the latch 21 is raised by the action of the segment 27, to throw the shoulder 25 out of engagement with the rod 24.

When the trip latch 21 is engaged by the segment'27, as shown in full lines in Fig. the upper edge of the trip lever will be in contact with the underside of the pin 31, by reason of the'trip lever being retracted in relation to the carrier plates A, thereby locking the trip lever against upward movement. The load carried by the block 10 on the hauling cable 7 may be raised and lowered as desired without the strain or pull on the hauling cable affecting the carrier.

When the block 10 carrying the load is to be reengaged with the carrier, the hauling cable 7 is wound upon a drum in the usual manner; the pull upon the cable exerting a pull upon the carrier through the pulley (3, which pull is transmitted to the tripping device through the trip latch 21; the direction of pull on the trip lever 21 being opposite that on the hauling cable.

As the yoke 13 moves upward, as indicated by the arrow 1 in Fig. 2, it enters the slots 14. Continued upward movement of the yoke13 causes it to contact the horizontal intruded forward edge of the hook 15, which projects in the path of travel of the yoke 13 a short distance below the underside of the trip lever 21, and swings the hook down below the bar 13.

The grappling hook 15 is provided with a sector 17 having a free edge 17 and a horn 18 on its upper corner. When the yoke bar 13 is grappled by the hook 15, as in Fig. 1, and the latch 21-is in its projected position the hook is locked by a roller 19 mounted on the side of the latch 21. With the relative retraction of the latch 21 by its striking the stop plate 30 the rollers jump back and clear the sector 16 and allow the weight or load of the bucket to fall on to the haul rope 7.

The upward movement of the yoke bar 13 rocks up the sector 16 until the rollers 19 under force derived from the pull on the haul rope 7 snap forward as they clear the corner of the edge 17. Upon carrier A moving 1,136,352 till rearward or away from the latch 21 engaged at 27, the pull on the cable 7 will continue to lift the bucket until the bar 13 strikes the bottom edge of the latch 21 when this will be lifted from the plate 26 and the carrier freed. Thereupon the load on the pulley 9 will lengthen the bi ght in the cable until the bar 13 lowers to and rests upon the grappling hook 15. v The latch 21 will interlock at stop 24 of the carrier and through the roller 19 engaging the side force of the sector 17 will maintain the hook 15 across the slots 14 with the grappled yoke bar 13. The parts are then in position for automatic disconnection upon the engagement of the latch 21 with the stop plate 27.

By forming the tripping device in the manner described with the segmental plate 27, the latter will act to operate the tripping latch 21, irrespectively of the swinging movement of the carrier A and the tripping device 21 in relation to each other.

It is to be observed that, when the carrier is traveling free on the track cable, the trip latch 21 will be locked against rearward movement by means of the bar 24 engaging the shoulder 25 on the trip lever, thus insuring the block 10 and the load thereon against disengagement from the carrier; and that when the carrier is engaged with the trip on the track cable, it cannot be accidentally released, the combined action of a pull on the hauling cable and the contact of the yoke 13 being required to disengage the trip lever to allow the carrier to be hauled up the inclined track cable.

It is manifest that the trip may be disposed at any point on the cable as the occasion may require; the trip acting to limit the travel of the carrier and bring it to a stop at the point where it is desired to raise or lower a load.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. I11 combination with a track, and a carrier thereon, a grapple member movably connected to the carrier, a slidable and pivoted latch for the grapple member, means on the latch to lock the grapple member in load sustaining position, and stop means to slide and raise the latch to release the grapple member.

2. In combination with a track, a carrier thereon and comprising a casing provided with longitudinal registering slots, a trip lever having a pin which slides in said slots, said casing having a lower cut-out part forming a mouth and having inclined slots extending up from the mouth, a grapple hook pivoted to the casing, a load engaging element engageable at its top in the inclined slots and with the grapple hook, said grapple hook having a free edge and a horn at one end thereof, a projection on the trip lever to hold the grapple hook in load sustaining position, and to engage the horn to limit the movement of the grapple in one direction, a shoulder depending from the front end of the trip lever, and a bar in the casing to engage the shoulder.

3. In combination with a track, and a carrier thereon, a grapple member movably connected to the carrier, a slidable latch for the grapple member having a part engageable with and beneath the latter and a stop member for sliding the latch out of locking position.

4. In combination with a track, and a carrier thereon, a grapple member movably connected to the carrier, a slidable and pivoted latch for the grapple member, means on the latch to lock the grapple member in load sustaining position, and stop means to slide and raise the latch to release the grapple member, said means on the latch upon sliding of the latter and movement of the latch to grapple releasing position arresting movement of the grapple member so as to hold same in position for return of the parts to grapple sustaining position.

5. In combination with a track, and a car rier thereon, a grapple member pivoted to the carrier, a slidable latch for the grapple member having an outwardly projecting part, means on the latch for holding the grapple member in up position by engaging beneath said part of said member and means to slide the latch to a position to cause said first means to be disengaged from said part to thereby allow the member to move to load releasing position.

6. In combination with a track and a carrier thereon, a grapple member pivoted to the carrier, a slidable latch for the grapple member having a part engageable with and beneath a part of the latch to hold the latter. against downward movement, means whereby to hold the latch against sliding movement, and means engageable with the latch to disengage the latter from said holding means and to slide the latch to thereby release the same from the grapple member.

7. In combination with a track and a carrier thereon, a grapple member movably connected to the carrier, a slidable and upwardly movable latch having a part which cooperates with the grapple member to hold the latter in load sustaining position, means to hold the latch against sliding movement, and means engageable with the latch to first raise same out of engagement with said holding means and to then slide the latch to release the grapple member.

8. In combination with a track and a carrier thereon, a grapple member movably connected to the carrier, a slidable and upwardly movable latch having a part which cooperates with the grapple member to hold the latter in load sustaining position, means to. holdthe'lateh against sliding movement; In testimony whereof I have hereunto set means engageable with the latch to first raise my hand in the presence of two subscribing 10 same out dof engagemeint grith salid holding Witnesses.

means an to then'si e t e late to release the grapple member, and a load carrier en- CHESTER MCLAREN' gageable with the grapple member and with Witnesses:

the latch to restore the parts to load sustain- JOHN H. HERRING,

ing position. W. W. HEALEY.

- Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

